Devoting herself to 'wayang topeng'<\/p>\n
Indra Harsaputra, Contributor, Malang<\/p>\n
With great dexterity, Karen Elizabeth demonstrated her skill in
\nthe Malang mask dance to The Jakarta Post, showing how she
\nperformed one of the folk dances she had mastered.<\/p>\n
\"I like the Gunungsari wayang topeng (stage show with masked
\nplayers) dance rather than the Bapang dance,\" she said. The
\nGunungsari wayang topeng depicts the good character of the mask
\nshadow puppetry stories, while the Bapang dance illustrates evil
\ncharacters.<\/p>\n
In the wayang topeng stories, each mask expresses a particular
\ncharacter. A red mask, for example, is intended for a character
\nthat gets angry easily. A white mask is worn by a character to
\nportray honesty and gallantry, while the mask of a servant of
\nroyalty is used to express humor.<\/p>\n
Among artists, Karen is known as both a dancer and a sindhen,
\na singer whose songs accompany a wayang topeng performance,
\ndespite the fact that this unique dance genre from Malang has now
\nlost much of its popularity.<\/p>\n
Karen, nevertheless, is still full of zest in her attempt to
\npreserve the genre, a folk art form that flourished in the 9th
\ncentury, when the Medang and Mataram kingdoms moved to East Java.<\/p>\n
Aside from serving as a sindhen for wayang topeng, Karen has
\nalso frequently taken part as a guest sindhen in wayang kulit
\n(shadow puppet) performances by a number of noted puppet masters
\nincluding Ki Manteb Sudarsono, Ka Anom Suroto, Ki Enthus, Ki Joko
\nEdan and Soenarjo, the last of whom is also deputy governor of
\nEast Java province.<\/p>\n
In Mangun Dharma, at an art camp that she and her husband, Ki
\nSoleh Adi Pramono, a noted Malang wayang topeng exponent run, she
\nspends most of her time teaching local children the Malang mask
\ndance. Every day, this art camp, located in Tulus Besar village
\nin Malang regency, is full of dancing and related activities.<\/p>\n
Karen also teaches Javanese music, including gamelan
\ninstruments such as the kendang (a small drum covered with
\nleather at each end), kenong (a small gong used in gamelan),
\nsaron (a metallophone gamelan instrument), peking and rebab (a
\ntwo-stringed musical instrument).<\/p>\n
In her efforts to preserve the mask dance from Malang, Karen
\nhas not infrequently given scholarships of a sort to students
\nfrom poorer families. I have six students from poor families and
\nI financially support them,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Karen, born in 1957 in Wisconsin, United States, also actively
\ntakes part in roving performances and distributes VCDs of the
\nmask shadow puppetry shows on the story of Panji Reni that she
\nhas produced herself. During the World Rice Expo in Fowler
\nMuseum, UCLA, U.S., she promoted wayang topeng there. A leather
\npuppet of Dewi Sri, the Goddess of Rice, made by Ki Soleh Adi
\nPramono, is one of the items in the collection of this museum.<\/p>\n
Besides her mastery of Malang wayang topeng dance, Karen is
\nalso accomplished in performing Madura mask dance, Anoman dance,
\nPadang dance and the gandrung Banyuwangi dance.<\/p>\n
In 1969, she lived in Yogyakarta accompanying her father,
\nDavid Schrieber, who taught at Gadjah Mada University there. She
\nbecame acquainted with and learned how to dance the Trijoyo
\n(gentle princess) dance. Later she learned the Anoman dance from
\nthe late Yusmanto in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In 1990, she learned the golek (wooden puppet) dance at Taman
\nSiswa in Yogyakarta from the late Father Sasmito. A short while
\nlater she learned the wayang topeng dance from Ki Soleh Adi
\nPramono.<\/p>\n
In 1991, she learned the Madura mask dance from the late
\nSupakra in Slopen, Sumenep, Madura. In the same year, she learned
\nthe gandrung Banyuwangi dance from the late Suanah.<\/p>\n
\"I became interested in the mask dance when I was doing my
\nresearch on shadow puppetry in Malang for my master's degree,\"
\nsaid Karen, an anthropology graduate of Virginia University, U.S.<\/p>\n
For Karen, Malang mask dance is no ordinary folk art. She has
\nfound in this particular dance a philosophy of life derived from
\nthe Panji stories that have been handed down for many generations
\nin East Java.<\/p>\n
These stories provide graphic portrayals of good and bad
\ncharacters.<\/p>\n
\"I will not cease to stop preserving this particular art form,
\neven though many Indonesians do not properly appreciate their own
\nart genre,\" said Karen, who remains a U.S. citizen.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/devoting-herself-to-wayang-topeng-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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